The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-21
THE MINNEAPOLIS PLAN.

Some Details of the Method by Which the
Dust Is Kept Down In That City.
st. Louis Post-Dispatch.
At the time the dust was flying around st.
Louis last fall in binding clouds, a member of
the City Council wrote to the chief engineer of
Minneapolis, and received this reply:
''CrTY ENGINEERS OFFICE,
"MINNEAPOLIs, MINI, Aug. 81. 1885,
Edward Dewey, ESQ.,:
Dear Sr-Your favor of the 10Th inst. Just
received. In reply to your inquiry l would say
that our street sprinkling is done by contract
extending over period of three years, and is
authorized by our charter, copy of which /
will send you Page SO of the charter will give
all there is of the law Page 70 the form of as
sessment roll. / will also mail blank assess
ment roll. The City Council at any time during
the season can, by resolution, order any street
to be sprinkled. resolution stating the street or
avenue as follows Resolved, BY the City
Council of the city of Minneapolis that the fol.
lowing named streets and avenues be sprinkled
from the - day of - A. D. -, until the LIST
day of November. A. D. 1SS-' We only order
the streets to be sprinkled during one season,
Notwithstanding the contract is for three years;
ordering at the beginning of each season with
out petition) such streets as the Council think
and running until Nov. /. The contractor is
paid certain price per block per week for each
street sprlnkled during the time that the work
Is actually done the Council continuing to.order
assess
ments are made against the abutting property
for the actual cost of the work on said street.
We have no printed schedule for contractors to
bid on; specifications requiring the contractor to
sprinkle all streets ordered by the City Council
during-that season for the term of his contract
!. O., street ordered one season may be discon-
tinued the next and the contractors having no
right to do the work on account of Its having
been ordered the year previous. The city fur
nishes the water from stand-pipes or hydrants
placed not less than four blocks apart the
city furnishing and erecting said pipes or n.y.
drants and keeping them in repair free of cost
to the contractor. The price paid is as follows:
For all paved streets. So IS per block per week;
for unpaved streets. ST. S5 per block per week.
The great bulk of the work is upon streets hav-
inc roadway of forty feet in width between
curos. The annual expense. or the expense Of
this seasons work will be about $50, 900, all of
which comes back from assessments Our blocks
average about 400 feet in length from irtersec-
ton to intersection Of center lines of the streets
No deduction is made from the contracto: on &C
count OF not having to sprinkle during rainy
weather. | think our method of sprinkling is
the best have any knowledge of. and it gives
almost universal satisfaction to the property
owners. The assessment on this years work on
improved streets, commencing April 3d. ending
Nov /, is cents per front foot on paved streets:
commencing April Z, ending Nov. 1. is Is cents
per front foot, which is not an exhorbitant tax.
l do not think you will find any special
assessment made against abutting property that
is paid with better grace than the sprinkling
assessments. We find it a great luxury. and in
the residence portion person having so to 100
feet front is relieved of the dust nuisance at an
expense of from 81 to So for the season, which
amount is saved in the wear and tear of furni.
ture carpets, ETC., to say nothing OF the comfort
derived from living on a sprinkled street
Hoping that / have satisfactorily answered
your questions, and that your citizens may avail
themselves of our system, I remain,
Yours truly. ANDREW RINKER
City Engineer"
According TO the figures given in the ABOVE
letter 1t costs the citizens Of Minneapolis just
$50,0u0 year to make their city among the
finest in America. In other words. Minneapolis,
nearly half as large St. Louis. pays for
being entirely sprinbled only one-ninth of VIVA,
st Louis where the work is done by private en-
terprisel pays for being onethird sprinkled